Batman: Lost to the Night, Chapter 12: Between Darkness and Light (Part 1)
Thanks to Kathy, Debbie, and paxtonfoist for the beta!
Chicken and Rice recipe from Second Helpings, Please! Montreal Jewish Women International of Canada (Mount Sinai Chapter 1091, Montreal). Page 62.
“Somewhere In Between” written by Phil Vassar. Performed by Phil Vassar on his Phil Vassar CD (Arista, 2000).
The Adventures of Dan and Sam written by Phyllis Yingling. Published by Vangar Press.
Chapter 12: Between Darkness and Light
“Let him set the pace,” Gordon cautioned. “If all goes well, this will be the first of many weekend passes. Don’t try to plan everything.”
Dick, Barbara and Cass nodded, as Gordon continued.
“He might want to walk around outside and get his bearings back. He might just want to stay here. Either way’s fine.”
Barbara cleared her throat. “Then, maybe we should eat in, instead of going out to celebrate.”
“With a seven o’clock curfew in effect,” Gordon agreed, “that’s probably a good idea.”
“Seven?” Cass wrinkled her forehead. “But… traffic. What if there’s… delay?”
“If he isn’t back at the apartment by curfew,” Dick said slowly, “he’ll have to notify the probation officer assigned to his case that he’s running late. If he doesn’t, then Arkham-or, more likely, that probation officer-will inform the police, and there’ll be a warrant issued for his arrest. They’re not going to listen to excuses.”
The younger woman considered that for a moment, before stating her verdict. “Not fair.”
“No,” Dick confirmed. “It’s not. But that’s how it is, and that’s what we have to deal with. As far as patrol goes, I’ve been talking with Vic over the last few days. The Titans have gotten a few new members, and Cyborg thinks its time to see if they’re as effective a team in the field as they’ve been in the training room. So, I’m flying down to ‘Frisco this weekend to brief them on what to expect, because they’ll be monitoring Gotham that weekend.”
“Tim too?” Cass demanded.
Dick nodded. “Unless he begs off. And I don’t think Vic’s going to let him. I know I wouldn’t, if it were my call. Catwoman and Arsenal are going to be active as well,” he continued. “And if the Titans run into something major, they’re prepared to lend a hand.” He looked around the room. “I’m not saying I’ll always stay home when Bruce is on a pass,” he said. “But this is his first one, and I’m taking a night off.”
There were no protests.
“Right,” Dick said. “So, getting back to the original point, we don’t treat Bruce like he’s made of glass, just…”
“Deal with his issues the way we dealt with mine when we were planning a vacation,” Barbara said flatly. “Don’t discuss any limitations or restrictions unless they’re absolutely relevant, or I… or in this case he brings them up. For the rest of it, we just treat him like we always did. Don’t walk on eggshells to avoid mentioning ‘the A-word’, but don’t constantly allude to it either.” She grinned. “Exactly the way we deal with this chair,” she added, tapping her armrest for emphasis, “and precisely where it can and can’t go in the Pyrenees.”
Dick was leaning against the car, by the front entrance of the asylum when the orderlies escorted Bruce outside. Bruce pulled his coat a bit more tightly around him as a wind started up. He was wearing the sweater that Jim had bought him over one of the heavy cotton shirts that someone had given him at Christmas. The gifts of clothing had unfortunately run to tops, socks, and outerwear, so Arkham was supplementing his wardrobe with its normal discharge clothing. Bruce tried to recall the last time he’d worn jeans when he hadn’t been under cover. The times that he’d gone camping with Dick, had he… no, he’d worn trailhikers on those trips.
He sighed inwardly. He didn’t really have any other options. He’d been arrested in costume and arrived at Arkham in a hospital gown. The clothing he’d borrowed from the shelter had been returned there. It was the jumpsuit or the jeans. Even if the denim fabric was a bit stiff, the jeans were unquestionably the better choice. The cut of the legs was loose enough so that the pants fit easily over the ankle monitor. They’d strapped that on him this morning. Afterwards, Bruce found it impossible to get comfortable. The band didn’t actually weigh very much, but every time he moved his leg, he remembered that the thing was there. It was a humiliating awareness.
Dick’s face lit up when he saw Bruce walk toward him. Without a word, he opened the passenger door. Bruce got in quickly. “Drive,” he said as soon as the younger man sat down.
“Can I get my seatbelt on first?” Dick asked. He grinned. “They’re not going to change their minds if we take an extra minute.”
“I realize that,” Bruce said sharply, as Dick clicked the belt into place. “Drive.”
Dick obeyed. “Did you want to do anything special this weekend?” He asked. “Or now? We could drive around the city or-or go up to the Manor, if you like.”
The Manor. Bruce was silent for a moment. “How are things there?” he asked. “I mean… has anything changed?”
Dick frowned for a moment. Then understanding dawned. “Well, the police were over at the house a lot at first, when it looked like there was going to be a trial. They tore the place apart trying to find evidence.”
“They never found the cave,” Bruce said. “I remember you told me that.”
Dick nodded. “They never found the cave because I set charges to seal off most of the entrances. I kept the one behind the Zesti billboard-actually, they changed it; it’s a SunDollars ad right now-and I left the cracks alone so the bats could get out to hunt. Even if somebody had found a way in, I think we did a pretty good job of clearing out anything they could have used. I had to destroy the Crays, though. Didn’t want to take a chance that someone would be able to restore the memory if I’d only wiped them.”
“Good call,” Bruce said. “So, is everything the way the police left it?”
Dick shook his head. “Tim, Cass and I went over one day, after we knew for sure that the charges had been dropped and the cops wouldn’t be back. We straightened up.”
The traffic light shifted from amber to red and Dick stopped to wait. That was when it hit him what Bruce really wanted to find out. “We… I didn’t know whether you wanted us to go through Alfred’s things, or whether it was something you’d prefer to do on your own. In the end we… we left the room looking pretty much exactly the way he left it, but we boxed up everything that was in the dresser drawers and closet. It’s in the attic now, any time you want to sort through it.”
Bruce made sure that the light was in no imminent danger of changing before he placed a hand on Dick’s forearm. “Thanks,” he said simply. “I… realize that couldn’t have been easy for you.”
There wasn’t much that Dick could say to that.
“I should go there,” Bruce admitted. “Maybe next time. And I would like to reacquaint myself with Gotham. But for now, let’s just go…” He let his voice trail off, not sure exactly how to refer to Dick’s apartment.
Dick grinned. “Home, it is.” The light changed. “It’s really great that you could make it,” he added as he shifted the car into drive.
“I should mention before we get upstairs,” Dick said after parking the car, “that there’s… um… one more surprise.” As Bruce started to get out of the car, Dick shook his head. “You might want to stay sitting down for this one.”
Bruce settled back, a questioning look on his face.
A moment later he bounded out of the vehicle, nearly racing for the elevator.
“Take it easy!” Dick exclaimed. “She might not even be there, yet.”
Bruce barely heard him. His thoughts were spinning. Selina had a daughter? He was a father? He had to get upstairs-what floor was the condo on? What should he say? What if…? He stopped so suddenly that Dick nearly bumped into him.
“Hey. You okay?”
Bruce didn’t answer.
“Bruce?”
He turned around slowly. “I… I don’t know if I’m ready for this,” he said quietly.
“This? The weekend?”
Bruce shook his head. “No. I think I can manage that. Selina.”
Wordlessly, Dick clasped his shoulder. Bruce reached up to squeeze his hand. “I understand her reasoning. I respect it. But I don’t know if I’m… if it’s a good thing for me to… renew our… relationship at this moment.”
“Makes sense to me, all things considered,” Dick said.
Bruce nodded. “To me, as well. But, in light of what you’ve just told me, she could read a statement to that effect as a rejection.”
The grip on his shoulder tightened. “Bruce. You’ve been… away for over a year and a half. Do both of yourselves a favor: give her a little credit and cut yourself a little slack. You’ll do fine.” He paused before adding, “And if you need me, I’m right behind you-using you as a human shield in case she pops her claws.”
Bruce shot him a murderous look, but he seemed more relaxed. “I suppose we should go up, then,” he said. “Shall we?”
“You don’t mind,” Selina was saying, “that I’m bringing her by this early? I do have errands I need to run. I mean, I could take her along, but-”
Barbara nodded. “You wanted Bruce to get acquainted with her early.”
“Not only that,” Selina agreed. “Look, I know what I told Dick and I’m guessing you found out one way or another,” she waited for the red-haired woman’s acknowledgement before continuing. “Which means the kid’s probably let Bruce know about that conversation he and I had a few months ago.” She sighed. “The only thing dumber than not giving Bruce some warning before he gets up here would be,” she took a deep breath, “would be if I tried to force answers out of him today about where he saw… us… in the future.”
A squeal from the jogging stroller interrupted them and Selina bent down with a smile to unharness her daughter. “Someone noticed she wasn’t the center of attention,” she said. “Come on.” She reached in. “Come on up.”
“She’s adorable,” Barbara exclaimed. “Can I…?”
Selina grinned. “Oh, sure. Just, better take your glasses off. She’s at that grabby age.”
Barbara complied, sliding the case into the pocket of her shirt. Selina passed the baby over. Helena gurgled and wrapped her pudgy arms around Barbara’s neck.
“Ooof! Hi, there, you!” She smiled down at Helena as the baby reached for a tendril of her hair. “She’s really good with strangers,” she praised, as she gently uncurled the tiny fingers.
“I’ve been doing everything I can to socialize her,” Selina laughed. “Anyway,” she said, sobering, “at some point, Bruce and I are going to have to sit down and discuss… us… and Helena, and the extent of his involvement or lack of involvement. But today is not the right day for it. So, I guess I figured it would be best if Bruce had a chance to meet Helena without thinking that I was scrutinizing his every move. I should head out before he gets…”
The door swung open. From the expressions on both men’s faces, it was clear that they’d been standing outside the door for a few minutes. Dick looked away. “We didn’t plan to eavesdrop,” he mumbled. “We just nee…” He broke off as Bruce gave him a hard stare. “Sorry.”
“I needed a minute before I came in,” Bruce admitted. “It’s… good to see you again.”
Selina took a step toward him. “You too,” she said softly. She advanced until she stood an arm’s length from him, then reached out and took hold of his shoulders. “I missed you.”
Bruce closed his eyes. He didn’t advance, but he didn’t pull away either. After a moment, he placed his own hands around her waist.
Barbara occupied herself with the baby, while Dick carried Bruce’s small overnight bag into the spare bedroom.
“I almost wish we had some music,” Selina whispered. “This reminds me of the time we danced at Chester Sandrington’s New Year’s gala.”
Bruce shook his head. “Not necessary.” ‘Not conducive to self-control’ was more to the point. Hesitantly, he pulled her toward him. Her hands slid easily to his shoulder blades as she rested her cheek against his chest.
After a moment, he relaxed his arms and the two moved apart. Helena gurgled, prompting a startled laugh from Barbara.
Selina moved to reclaim her daughter. “Did you want to hold her?” She asked.
Bruce managed a nod. “She won’t cry if I do?”
“No, Helena’s pretty good about meeting new people,” she laughed. “Here.”
And suddenly the baby was in his hands. Bruce looked directly into a pair of familiar blue eyes in a face framed by curly dark hair. The coloring was his, but the coolly appraising, faintly quizzical expression was pure Selina. “Hello, there,” he said softly.
Helena cocked her head, apparently sizing him up. Then without warning, she giggled, seized hold of his nose, and squeezed.
“Hey!” Bruce sputtered as the two women dissolved into laughter.
Helena seemed to take his reaction as an invitation to place her other hand in his mouth and explore his teeth. Her smile never waned.
“What are you trying to…” Bruce wondered why he was fighting his own laughter.
“Need some help?” Selina asked.
Yes. Batman needs to be rescued from a ten-month-old. “I can handle it,” he tried to say. The words were muffled, however, thanks to the tiny fingers now pinching his lips. Helena seemed positively fascinated by his face. Feeling more than a little foolish, Bruce held her gently at arm’s length, wondering why the thought hadn’t occurred to him initially. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Dick standing, facing the wall, shoulders shaking.
“I’ll just leave you two alone to get to know each other,” Selina laughed. She squeezed Bruce’s shoulder. “We’ll talk later,” she promised. “When you’re up for it.”
She bent down to kiss the baby’s cheek. “See you later, Darling.”
As the door closed behind her, Barbara rolled forward. “I should have said it right when you walked in,” she said, “but ‘Welcome’.” She motioned toward the bedrooms. “Let me show you what we’ve fixed up for you…”
They’d outdone themselves, Bruce had to admit. They’d either taken the quilt from his bedroom at the Manor, or found one exactly like it. Dick-he imagined that it had been Dick-had brought over some of his clothes and personal effects. He picked up the photo of his parents on their wedding day. Dick had made the frame at summer camp when he was eleven. Bruce ran a finger gently over the scrollwork. Dick had opted for acorns at the corners with a vine motif around the edges.
He walked over to the window and pushed back the draperies. There were no bars. Good. From this vantage point, he had a clear view of Robinson Park. He smiled. It wasn’t quite home, but it was a far cry from Arkham. It was… comfortable.
Still smiling, he pulled open the bedroom door and went back to the living room.
Helena was sitting in her playpen, chewing seriously on a cloth book. Interesting aromas were coming from the kitchen. He blinked. Was Barbara baking bread? She seemed to be. And he thought he smelled apple pie, too.
He scooped up Helena, book and all, and followed the fragrance.
Barbara was sitting at the table, dicing tomatoes. “Hi!” She said, looking up. “I really hope you like bruschetta, because I needed to do something with these tomatoes. The pie comes out in about ten minutes, and then I was going to start on the chicken.” She gestured vaguely toward the counter by the sink where Bruce could see the poultry soaking in a bowl of water.
“Dick’ll be back soon. He’s meeting Roy for coffee downtown, and then he’s going to pick up Cass at the library.”
Bruce blinked. “Cassandra? Library?”
She nodded. “She’s got her ABC’s down, but she’s finding it difficult to remember all the phonetic rules. Then she discovered that if she’s listening to an audio book, she can follow along in the print version a little better. It’s slow going, but she keeps plugging.” Barbara smiled. “I’m proud of her.”
White foam started to leak out from under the lid of a pot on the stove. The burner hissed as the liquid hit.
“Ohhhhh!” Barbara wheeled over and quickly shut off the element. She used a potholder to lift the lid. “It’s okay,” she sighed. “I forgot to turn the soup down to simmer before I covered it. No harm done.”
She replaced the lid and turned the burner back on-at a lower temperature, Bruce presumed. “Barbara,” he said hesitantly, “I really appreciate what you’re doing, but you didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”
“It’s no trouble,” Barbara countered. “I’ve seen how they’ve been feeding you in Arkham.”
Bruce didn’t return her smile.
She let out a slow breath. “Look. Next time we can send out for pizza or something. I’ve just been living on takeout all week, and I figured as long as I was going to cook, I might as well go for the gusto.” She tore off several sheets of paper towel and began to take the chicken pieces out of the bowl and pat them dry.
He relaxed as Helena snuggled against his shoulder. “I understand. And thanks.” He smiled down at the baby. “You do realize that if this was an attempt to impress me, you’ve more than accomplished that.” He grimaced. “I can’t manage a tuna salad.”
“Oh, come on!” Barbara laughed. “How can anyone ruin tuna salad? The timer went off and she rolled back to the oven to take out the pie. She glanced quickly at the open cookbook before adjusting the temperature control.
“Tim asked me the same question,” Bruce admitted. “Immediately before sampling some of mine.”
“Oh.” Barbara thought for a moment.
Helena began to squirm.
“Maybe you should put her back in the playpen,” Barbara suggested. “She can’t really crawl around in here-she’d be in the way.”
Bruce looked at the baby and smiled again. “I suppose,” he said reluctantly.
He returned to the kitchen a moment later as Barbara was setting a large roasting pan on the table.
“Could you give me a hand with something?”
Bruce nodded. “No problem. What?”
“I’m a little pressed for time,” she admitted. “I need another pair of hands. Could you please measure out two cups of rice and just put it in the bottom of the roasting pan for me? Cups are over on the side, there.”
He hesitated. “You know I can’t cook. Not ‘don’t’. Can’t.”
“I’m not asking you to boil the rice,” she sighed. “Just measure out two cups. If it’s a little over or under, it’s no big deal.”
It sounded simple enough. He complied.
“Thanks,” she said. “Maybe,” she admitted, “I did want to impress you… just a little bit. Oh, could you dump the chicken pieces in the pan, too, please?”
Bruce nodded. “No problem. And I meant it before, there was no need.”
“Maybe not on the culinary front,” Barbara agreed as she attacked fresh oregano with a mezzaluna. “Argh. I don’t believe this. Third shelf in the pantry, can you take one of those boxes of onion soup mix and just pour both envelopes into the pan? Thanks.” She hesitated. “I know you never really approved of my being with Dick.”
Bruce paused in the act of tearing open the second envelope. “I disapproved when he was seventeen and you were twenty. If you ponder the situation, I’m sure you’ll understand why.”
“And after?”
“After?” Bruce frowned. “I don’t…”
Barbara felt her hands begin to sweat. Maybe she shouldn’t have brought this up. “When Dick first told you we were going out… your reaction was a bit… well…” Lacking? Unenthusiastic, perhaps? “I thought I’d gotten beyond needing your approval by now, but maybe at the back of my mind, I thought that if I could… wow you with a meal, then...” She shook her head. “It sounded a lot less stupid before I said it out loud. Could you open one of the big cans of mushrooms? On the pantry door, second shelf from the top? Can opener’s in the drawer under the microwave. They go in the pan, too, liquid and all.”
He placed a hand on her shoulder. “I had no idea,” he said quietly. “If I had disapproved, I would have said so. It didn’t occur to me that…” He shook his head. “No excuses. It should have. There are things I’m not good at saying, but I should have tried.” Without another word, he trotted over to the drawer and retrieved the can opener. He opened the mushroom can over the roaster and poured the contents in.
“Bend down,” Barbara ordered abruptly.
“I beg your pardon?”
“I can’t hug you when you’re towering over me. And right at this moment, I think I’d like to. Now bend.”
Expression unreadable, he stooped to allow the embrace.
“That’s better,” she said. “And, you’re going to get thoroughly sick of hearing this by the time the weekend’s out, but I’m really glad you’re here. Now get up before Dick comes back and gets the wrong idea,” she laughed.
Bruce rose immediately. He seemed a bit more at ease, though. “I… if my being here poses a problem at some point, and you’d rather I not stay, I’ll understand.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him not to be silly, but she knew him. More importantly, she knew that he knew her. He wouldn’t accept some meaningless statement about not posing a problem. “I’ll take it under advisement,” she said. “But really, I think I can handle it. Could you fill the big measuring cup with water to the 1-quart-mark and just pour that into the pan, too? Thanks.”
As Bruce complied, she opened the oven door. “Great, now if you’ll just put the lid down and slide it into the oven, that should do it.” She grinned. “You’re going to have to learn to cook one of these days,” she said, closing the door. “I mean, you can’t live on takeout. Rent Fast Food Nation, if you don’t believe me.” She set the timer for an hour.
Bruce shook his head. “It’s not a good idea,” he said.
“Well,” she said, “I’m not saying you need to be able to make a soufflé, but I’m sure you could start with something a little more basic. Maybe something along the lines of the chicken and rice we’re having tonight.”
“I don’t think s…” Bruce was about to utter another protest. All at once his jaw dropped. He jerked his head in the direction of the oven, eyes wide.
Barbara nodded, eyes gleaming. “You start by putting two cups of rice in a roasting pan…”
“Reassembling?” Dick echoed. “And they want…”
“Both of us,” Roy confirmed.
“I’m honored, but I can’t leave Gotham.”
The archer shrugged. “I knew you were going to say that, Robbie, but I promised I’d ask. Seeing as I was able to talk you into joining the Outsiders, Hal thought I might have better luck than he would with you.”
He rubbed his hands together as though wiping them clean. “So, I asked and you said ‘no’. Now that that’s out of the way… can I bounce something off you?”
Dick’s eyes narrowed. “If it’s a rubber arrow, Lian’s going to find out all about the time her Daddy dressed up as the Easter Bunny.”
“That was for charity, Batboy.” Roy muttered. “Anyway, no. I’m serious. The Outsiders need a leader.”
Dick opened his mouth to protest.
“And I don’t mean you. If you’re not joining the JLA, you’re not going back to them. But that still leaves the slot open.” He sighed. “I asked Katana. She turned me down outright. Of the rest of the team… I can’t even think of someone with the potential, let alone the experience.”
Dick took another sip of coffee. “I know what you mean. Even after all this time, they’re not a team the way the Titans were.” He set the mug down. “So you need a leader. Someone used to working with a lot of strong independent personalities, who isn’t going to be intimidated by someone like Grace throwing a tantrum. Somebody who’ll be able to earn their respect pretty early in the game.”
Roy nodded. “Donna’s still subbing for Wonder Woman. If Harrier were older, I’d consider it, but I don’t see Metamorpho or Katana taking him seriously. Dinah’s joining the League, so she’s out. I asked Helena if she wanted to take the reins again, and she said something about it being hard enough for her to stick to the Bat-clan’s no-killing policy as it was.”
Dick laughed at that. “I guess that leaves Cyborg, then,” he grinned. “Think the Titans can manage without him?”
“I was wondering about that,” Roy admitted. “The thing is, when the Teen Titans got started, we were a few years younger than most of the current roster, and we didn’t have a mentor-in-residence. I don’t think the new team needs one either at this point. And if they do get into a bind, well, if Tim’s in charge, he’s going to call you. If you’re not available, he’ll either turn to the Outsiders or the League. He’s not a reckless kid, and he knows when to ask for help. With that in mind, I don’t think it would be that big of an issue if Vic were to move on.”
Roy had a point. Dick steepled his fingers. “Have you spoken to either of them yet?”
“Nah, I wanted your spin, first.” He grinned. “So?”
“The Outsiders will respect Vic,” Dick said slowly. “If he could direct a group of half-trained adolescents with hormones and or meta powers, he can handle a group of hostile adults with attitude and or meta powers. And there’s no question that Tim can manage the Titans. The real question is whether either of them will want to move up and on.”
Roy carved off another morsel of devil’s food cake with his fork. “And?”
“They will. They’ll soul-search a bit, maybe turn you down initially, but they’ll do it.” He downed the last of his coffee. “Congrats on the League membership,” he said extending his hand. “They knew what they were doing when they asked you.”
“Yeah, right,” Roy scoffed, taking the hand. “They only invited me to bring you onboard.”
“You don’t believe that anymore than I do, Bowhead.” He said. “Anyway, I have to go meet Cass. Give my best to Lian.”
“Will do. Oh, and if you could say ‘Hi’ to Bruce for me without making me sound drippy, go for it.”
“Sure.”
Dick knew something was up. He hadn’t been trained by the best for nothing. He’d noticed that Bruce seemed more than a little apprehensive as the afternoon wore on and Barbara put dinner in the oven to reheat. Gordon arrived. Bruce greeted him almost absently, before resuming his brooding.
“He’s fine,” Barbara said in response to Dick’s inquiry. “Trust me.”
Dick raised an eyebrow. “I know that look,” he said. “That’s the ‘I know something you don’t know’ look.”
Barbara began to smile. Dick looked about, more than a little nervously. “Um… how much longer until you get the ‘Dick I need to tell you something’ look?”
“The only thing I have to tell you right now, FBW,” she said, “is how much I love you.” She leaned forward as Dick bent down.
“Get room!” Cass called from the other room, shattering the moment.
Barbara sighed. “We need a door for this kitchen. Set the table?”
Dick nodded, and moved toward the silverware drawer. “By the way, the unit directly above us is going up for sale, available first of March. Is that something that Herr Fledermaus might want to purchase on Oracle’s behalf?”
Her eyes lit up. “Well, it’s definitely more convenient than the cave,” she grinned. “And probably less prone to police searches than this unit would be.” She punched his arm lightly. “You never know when Gotham’s Finest are going to turn up here with a few questions for Nightwing, after all…”
Dick raised a forkful of chicken to his lips wondering why Bruce was watching him. And why Bruce was pretending not to. It couldn’t be that he didn’t trust Barbara’s cooking. He’d downed the soup with gusto. With a mental shrug, Dick ingested the mouthful. It tasted fine. He dug into the rice.
Bruce relaxed visibly. Barbara grinned. “Told you,” she said quietly.
Dick wondered what that was about. “If you were hoping to get two meals out of this,” he said, “forget it. I don’t think there’ll be leftovers.”
Judging by the reactions of the other dinner guests, it was a safe assumption. Cass was reaching for a second drumstick while Gordon had nearly finished his first helping of white meat and visually staking out another.
Bruce cautiously took a bit of the rice. His eyes widened. So did Dick’s for a different reason-Bruce was… he was grinning from ear to ear. Dick hadn’t seen that happen in years.
“Um… Bruce?” He said. “I know Babs is a great cook and all, but it’s just chicken, huh?” He turned to Barbara. “No offense!”
“None taken,” Barbara said immediately. “After all,” she added, her own expression mirroring Bruce’s, “I didn’t make this.”
Dick’s jaw dropped as Barbara burst out laughing. Well, having been trained by the world’s greatest detective-who, up until a moment ago, Dick could have sworn was also the world’s worst cook-it wasn’t hard for him to deduce who was actually responsible for the main course. He recovered quickly. “Bruce? Whoa. Color me seriously impressed.” He took another bite. It was still fine. Would wonders never cease?
Bruce tried not to show emotion as the clock hit seven. He tried not to look next to the phone by the door, where the transmitter sat receiving the signal from his ankle monitor. That was it. The curfew was in effect. He was a prisoner here for the next twelve hours. He hadn’t expected to mind so much. It wasn’t as though he would have made plans for this evening, had he not been ordered to observe that restriction. But, of course, he had been ordered to do so. He took another bite of rice. Well, he was stuck here, but…
“Shouldn’t you be getting ready to head out, Dick?” He asked.
Dick shook his head. “Nah, I’m off tonight. Selina and Holly are filling in, and the Titans are lending a hand. It’s been pretty quiet lately, anyway.”
Bruce frowned. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
“I know. I wanted to be here this weekend. If it’s really bad, they know they can call.”
“That’s not the point.”
“Just what is the point, Bruce?” He asked wearily. “It can’t be that I’m abandoning the city, because I’m not. If you’re feeling a little crowded, I’m sorry. I’ll head into the other room and give you some space. I can’t be Batman tonight-GCPD knows you’re out of Arkham. They see me in the suit, they’ll keep stopping me thinking I’m you. I won’t get anything done.”
“The monitor will confirm my whereabouts.”
Dick raised an eyebrow. “You really think they’ll believe you couldn’t figure a way around that?”
Bruce was silent.
“As far as Nightwing is concerned,” Dick continued, “in case your ice cream run didn’t hammer the point home a couple of months ago, you’ve got a lot of friends on the force. And I don’t feel like fielding their questions about why I’m out there when you’re back here. It already started this afternoon.” He looked at the dark-haired young woman seated across from him. “Back me up, Cass. You remember? When we were leaving the library?”
Cass nodded. “Officer Harper. New at Central. Wanted to know why you weren’t with us.” She said, pointing at Bruce. “Said son should be with father at time like this.”
Bruce glowered. “That is nobody’s business but ours. I want you to go out there tonight, Dick. That’s an order.”
“Sorry, Bruce,” Dick said quietly. “Nothing doing. I’m staying in tonight. It’s what I planned for, what I’ve made the necessary arrangements for, and…” He hesitated. “And the truth is, I agree with the cops on this one. I do belong here tonight. It’s more than me wanting to spend as much time as I can with you this weekend, although yes, that’s a major part of it.”
Dick took a deep breath. Inwardly, he was shaking, but his voice stayed firm. “Look. Even though the subject doesn’t come up often, we all know that what we do can be dangerous. You taught me everything I didn’t already know from my circus days, and it should be more than enough… but Bruce? If it isn’t… if I were to go out after this discussion, and something were to go wrong… I know what that would do to you, and I’m sorry, but there is no freaking way that I am taking that chance on your first night here!”
His voice had risen on the last sentence. As soon as the words were out of his mouth he knew that he had gone too far.
Bruce went deathly pale. Without another word he pushed his chair away from the table and stalked into the guest bedroom. The door slammed behind him.
Dick slumped. “That really could have gone better,” he mumbled.
Click to go to Part 2
Chicken and Rice recipe from Second Helpings, Please! Montreal Jewish Women International of Canada (Mount Sinai Chapter 1091, Montreal). Page 62.
“Somewhere In Between” written by Phil Vassar. Performed by Phil Vassar on his Phil Vassar CD (Arista, 2000).
The Adventures of Dan and Sam written by Phyllis Yingling. Published by Vangar Press.
Chapter 12: Between Darkness and Light
“Let him set the pace,” Gordon cautioned. “If all goes well, this will be the first of many weekend passes. Don’t try to plan everything.”
Dick, Barbara and Cass nodded, as Gordon continued.
“He might want to walk around outside and get his bearings back. He might just want to stay here. Either way’s fine.”
Barbara cleared her throat. “Then, maybe we should eat in, instead of going out to celebrate.”
“With a seven o’clock curfew in effect,” Gordon agreed, “that’s probably a good idea.”
“Seven?” Cass wrinkled her forehead. “But… traffic. What if there’s… delay?”
“If he isn’t back at the apartment by curfew,” Dick said slowly, “he’ll have to notify the probation officer assigned to his case that he’s running late. If he doesn’t, then Arkham-or, more likely, that probation officer-will inform the police, and there’ll be a warrant issued for his arrest. They’re not going to listen to excuses.”
The younger woman considered that for a moment, before stating her verdict. “Not fair.”
“No,” Dick confirmed. “It’s not. But that’s how it is, and that’s what we have to deal with. As far as patrol goes, I’ve been talking with Vic over the last few days. The Titans have gotten a few new members, and Cyborg thinks its time to see if they’re as effective a team in the field as they’ve been in the training room. So, I’m flying down to ‘Frisco this weekend to brief them on what to expect, because they’ll be monitoring Gotham that weekend.”
“Tim too?” Cass demanded.
Dick nodded. “Unless he begs off. And I don’t think Vic’s going to let him. I know I wouldn’t, if it were my call. Catwoman and Arsenal are going to be active as well,” he continued. “And if the Titans run into something major, they’re prepared to lend a hand.” He looked around the room. “I’m not saying I’ll always stay home when Bruce is on a pass,” he said. “But this is his first one, and I’m taking a night off.”
There were no protests.
“Right,” Dick said. “So, getting back to the original point, we don’t treat Bruce like he’s made of glass, just…”
“Deal with his issues the way we dealt with mine when we were planning a vacation,” Barbara said flatly. “Don’t discuss any limitations or restrictions unless they’re absolutely relevant, or I… or in this case he brings them up. For the rest of it, we just treat him like we always did. Don’t walk on eggshells to avoid mentioning ‘the A-word’, but don’t constantly allude to it either.” She grinned. “Exactly the way we deal with this chair,” she added, tapping her armrest for emphasis, “and precisely where it can and can’t go in the Pyrenees.”
Dick was leaning against the car, by the front entrance of the asylum when the orderlies escorted Bruce outside. Bruce pulled his coat a bit more tightly around him as a wind started up. He was wearing the sweater that Jim had bought him over one of the heavy cotton shirts that someone had given him at Christmas. The gifts of clothing had unfortunately run to tops, socks, and outerwear, so Arkham was supplementing his wardrobe with its normal discharge clothing. Bruce tried to recall the last time he’d worn jeans when he hadn’t been under cover. The times that he’d gone camping with Dick, had he… no, he’d worn trailhikers on those trips.
He sighed inwardly. He didn’t really have any other options. He’d been arrested in costume and arrived at Arkham in a hospital gown. The clothing he’d borrowed from the shelter had been returned there. It was the jumpsuit or the jeans. Even if the denim fabric was a bit stiff, the jeans were unquestionably the better choice. The cut of the legs was loose enough so that the pants fit easily over the ankle monitor. They’d strapped that on him this morning. Afterwards, Bruce found it impossible to get comfortable. The band didn’t actually weigh very much, but every time he moved his leg, he remembered that the thing was there. It was a humiliating awareness.
Dick’s face lit up when he saw Bruce walk toward him. Without a word, he opened the passenger door. Bruce got in quickly. “Drive,” he said as soon as the younger man sat down.
“Can I get my seatbelt on first?” Dick asked. He grinned. “They’re not going to change their minds if we take an extra minute.”
“I realize that,” Bruce said sharply, as Dick clicked the belt into place. “Drive.”
Dick obeyed. “Did you want to do anything special this weekend?” He asked. “Or now? We could drive around the city or-or go up to the Manor, if you like.”
The Manor. Bruce was silent for a moment. “How are things there?” he asked. “I mean… has anything changed?”
Dick frowned for a moment. Then understanding dawned. “Well, the police were over at the house a lot at first, when it looked like there was going to be a trial. They tore the place apart trying to find evidence.”
“They never found the cave,” Bruce said. “I remember you told me that.”
Dick nodded. “They never found the cave because I set charges to seal off most of the entrances. I kept the one behind the Zesti billboard-actually, they changed it; it’s a SunDollars ad right now-and I left the cracks alone so the bats could get out to hunt. Even if somebody had found a way in, I think we did a pretty good job of clearing out anything they could have used. I had to destroy the Crays, though. Didn’t want to take a chance that someone would be able to restore the memory if I’d only wiped them.”
“Good call,” Bruce said. “So, is everything the way the police left it?”
Dick shook his head. “Tim, Cass and I went over one day, after we knew for sure that the charges had been dropped and the cops wouldn’t be back. We straightened up.”
The traffic light shifted from amber to red and Dick stopped to wait. That was when it hit him what Bruce really wanted to find out. “We… I didn’t know whether you wanted us to go through Alfred’s things, or whether it was something you’d prefer to do on your own. In the end we… we left the room looking pretty much exactly the way he left it, but we boxed up everything that was in the dresser drawers and closet. It’s in the attic now, any time you want to sort through it.”
Bruce made sure that the light was in no imminent danger of changing before he placed a hand on Dick’s forearm. “Thanks,” he said simply. “I… realize that couldn’t have been easy for you.”
There wasn’t much that Dick could say to that.
“I should go there,” Bruce admitted. “Maybe next time. And I would like to reacquaint myself with Gotham. But for now, let’s just go…” He let his voice trail off, not sure exactly how to refer to Dick’s apartment.
Dick grinned. “Home, it is.” The light changed. “It’s really great that you could make it,” he added as he shifted the car into drive.
“I should mention before we get upstairs,” Dick said after parking the car, “that there’s… um… one more surprise.” As Bruce started to get out of the car, Dick shook his head. “You might want to stay sitting down for this one.”
Bruce settled back, a questioning look on his face.
A moment later he bounded out of the vehicle, nearly racing for the elevator.
“Take it easy!” Dick exclaimed. “She might not even be there, yet.”
Bruce barely heard him. His thoughts were spinning. Selina had a daughter? He was a father? He had to get upstairs-what floor was the condo on? What should he say? What if…? He stopped so suddenly that Dick nearly bumped into him.
“Hey. You okay?”
Bruce didn’t answer.
“Bruce?”
He turned around slowly. “I… I don’t know if I’m ready for this,” he said quietly.
“This? The weekend?”
Bruce shook his head. “No. I think I can manage that. Selina.”
Wordlessly, Dick clasped his shoulder. Bruce reached up to squeeze his hand. “I understand her reasoning. I respect it. But I don’t know if I’m… if it’s a good thing for me to… renew our… relationship at this moment.”
“Makes sense to me, all things considered,” Dick said.
Bruce nodded. “To me, as well. But, in light of what you’ve just told me, she could read a statement to that effect as a rejection.”
The grip on his shoulder tightened. “Bruce. You’ve been… away for over a year and a half. Do both of yourselves a favor: give her a little credit and cut yourself a little slack. You’ll do fine.” He paused before adding, “And if you need me, I’m right behind you-using you as a human shield in case she pops her claws.”
Bruce shot him a murderous look, but he seemed more relaxed. “I suppose we should go up, then,” he said. “Shall we?”
“You don’t mind,” Selina was saying, “that I’m bringing her by this early? I do have errands I need to run. I mean, I could take her along, but-”
Barbara nodded. “You wanted Bruce to get acquainted with her early.”
“Not only that,” Selina agreed. “Look, I know what I told Dick and I’m guessing you found out one way or another,” she waited for the red-haired woman’s acknowledgement before continuing. “Which means the kid’s probably let Bruce know about that conversation he and I had a few months ago.” She sighed. “The only thing dumber than not giving Bruce some warning before he gets up here would be,” she took a deep breath, “would be if I tried to force answers out of him today about where he saw… us… in the future.”
A squeal from the jogging stroller interrupted them and Selina bent down with a smile to unharness her daughter. “Someone noticed she wasn’t the center of attention,” she said. “Come on.” She reached in. “Come on up.”
“She’s adorable,” Barbara exclaimed. “Can I…?”
Selina grinned. “Oh, sure. Just, better take your glasses off. She’s at that grabby age.”
Barbara complied, sliding the case into the pocket of her shirt. Selina passed the baby over. Helena gurgled and wrapped her pudgy arms around Barbara’s neck.
“Ooof! Hi, there, you!” She smiled down at Helena as the baby reached for a tendril of her hair. “She’s really good with strangers,” she praised, as she gently uncurled the tiny fingers.
“I’ve been doing everything I can to socialize her,” Selina laughed. “Anyway,” she said, sobering, “at some point, Bruce and I are going to have to sit down and discuss… us… and Helena, and the extent of his involvement or lack of involvement. But today is not the right day for it. So, I guess I figured it would be best if Bruce had a chance to meet Helena without thinking that I was scrutinizing his every move. I should head out before he gets…”
The door swung open. From the expressions on both men’s faces, it was clear that they’d been standing outside the door for a few minutes. Dick looked away. “We didn’t plan to eavesdrop,” he mumbled. “We just nee…” He broke off as Bruce gave him a hard stare. “Sorry.”
“I needed a minute before I came in,” Bruce admitted. “It’s… good to see you again.”
Selina took a step toward him. “You too,” she said softly. She advanced until she stood an arm’s length from him, then reached out and took hold of his shoulders. “I missed you.”
Bruce closed his eyes. He didn’t advance, but he didn’t pull away either. After a moment, he placed his own hands around her waist.
Barbara occupied herself with the baby, while Dick carried Bruce’s small overnight bag into the spare bedroom.
“I almost wish we had some music,” Selina whispered. “This reminds me of the time we danced at Chester Sandrington’s New Year’s gala.”
Bruce shook his head. “Not necessary.” ‘Not conducive to self-control’ was more to the point. Hesitantly, he pulled her toward him. Her hands slid easily to his shoulder blades as she rested her cheek against his chest.
After a moment, he relaxed his arms and the two moved apart. Helena gurgled, prompting a startled laugh from Barbara.
Selina moved to reclaim her daughter. “Did you want to hold her?” She asked.
Bruce managed a nod. “She won’t cry if I do?”
“No, Helena’s pretty good about meeting new people,” she laughed. “Here.”
And suddenly the baby was in his hands. Bruce looked directly into a pair of familiar blue eyes in a face framed by curly dark hair. The coloring was his, but the coolly appraising, faintly quizzical expression was pure Selina. “Hello, there,” he said softly.
Helena cocked her head, apparently sizing him up. Then without warning, she giggled, seized hold of his nose, and squeezed.
“Hey!” Bruce sputtered as the two women dissolved into laughter.
Helena seemed to take his reaction as an invitation to place her other hand in his mouth and explore his teeth. Her smile never waned.
“What are you trying to…” Bruce wondered why he was fighting his own laughter.
“Need some help?” Selina asked.
Yes. Batman needs to be rescued from a ten-month-old. “I can handle it,” he tried to say. The words were muffled, however, thanks to the tiny fingers now pinching his lips. Helena seemed positively fascinated by his face. Feeling more than a little foolish, Bruce held her gently at arm’s length, wondering why the thought hadn’t occurred to him initially. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Dick standing, facing the wall, shoulders shaking.
“I’ll just leave you two alone to get to know each other,” Selina laughed. She squeezed Bruce’s shoulder. “We’ll talk later,” she promised. “When you’re up for it.”
She bent down to kiss the baby’s cheek. “See you later, Darling.”
As the door closed behind her, Barbara rolled forward. “I should have said it right when you walked in,” she said, “but ‘Welcome’.” She motioned toward the bedrooms. “Let me show you what we’ve fixed up for you…”
They’d outdone themselves, Bruce had to admit. They’d either taken the quilt from his bedroom at the Manor, or found one exactly like it. Dick-he imagined that it had been Dick-had brought over some of his clothes and personal effects. He picked up the photo of his parents on their wedding day. Dick had made the frame at summer camp when he was eleven. Bruce ran a finger gently over the scrollwork. Dick had opted for acorns at the corners with a vine motif around the edges.
He walked over to the window and pushed back the draperies. There were no bars. Good. From this vantage point, he had a clear view of Robinson Park. He smiled. It wasn’t quite home, but it was a far cry from Arkham. It was… comfortable.
Still smiling, he pulled open the bedroom door and went back to the living room.
Helena was sitting in her playpen, chewing seriously on a cloth book. Interesting aromas were coming from the kitchen. He blinked. Was Barbara baking bread? She seemed to be. And he thought he smelled apple pie, too.
He scooped up Helena, book and all, and followed the fragrance.
Barbara was sitting at the table, dicing tomatoes. “Hi!” She said, looking up. “I really hope you like bruschetta, because I needed to do something with these tomatoes. The pie comes out in about ten minutes, and then I was going to start on the chicken.” She gestured vaguely toward the counter by the sink where Bruce could see the poultry soaking in a bowl of water.
“Dick’ll be back soon. He’s meeting Roy for coffee downtown, and then he’s going to pick up Cass at the library.”
Bruce blinked. “Cassandra? Library?”
She nodded. “She’s got her ABC’s down, but she’s finding it difficult to remember all the phonetic rules. Then she discovered that if she’s listening to an audio book, she can follow along in the print version a little better. It’s slow going, but she keeps plugging.” Barbara smiled. “I’m proud of her.”
White foam started to leak out from under the lid of a pot on the stove. The burner hissed as the liquid hit.
“Ohhhhh!” Barbara wheeled over and quickly shut off the element. She used a potholder to lift the lid. “It’s okay,” she sighed. “I forgot to turn the soup down to simmer before I covered it. No harm done.”
She replaced the lid and turned the burner back on-at a lower temperature, Bruce presumed. “Barbara,” he said hesitantly, “I really appreciate what you’re doing, but you didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”
“It’s no trouble,” Barbara countered. “I’ve seen how they’ve been feeding you in Arkham.”
Bruce didn’t return her smile.
She let out a slow breath. “Look. Next time we can send out for pizza or something. I’ve just been living on takeout all week, and I figured as long as I was going to cook, I might as well go for the gusto.” She tore off several sheets of paper towel and began to take the chicken pieces out of the bowl and pat them dry.
He relaxed as Helena snuggled against his shoulder. “I understand. And thanks.” He smiled down at the baby. “You do realize that if this was an attempt to impress me, you’ve more than accomplished that.” He grimaced. “I can’t manage a tuna salad.”
“Oh, come on!” Barbara laughed. “How can anyone ruin tuna salad? The timer went off and she rolled back to the oven to take out the pie. She glanced quickly at the open cookbook before adjusting the temperature control.
“Tim asked me the same question,” Bruce admitted. “Immediately before sampling some of mine.”
“Oh.” Barbara thought for a moment.
Helena began to squirm.
“Maybe you should put her back in the playpen,” Barbara suggested. “She can’t really crawl around in here-she’d be in the way.”
Bruce looked at the baby and smiled again. “I suppose,” he said reluctantly.
He returned to the kitchen a moment later as Barbara was setting a large roasting pan on the table.
“Could you give me a hand with something?”
Bruce nodded. “No problem. What?”
“I’m a little pressed for time,” she admitted. “I need another pair of hands. Could you please measure out two cups of rice and just put it in the bottom of the roasting pan for me? Cups are over on the side, there.”
He hesitated. “You know I can’t cook. Not ‘don’t’. Can’t.”
“I’m not asking you to boil the rice,” she sighed. “Just measure out two cups. If it’s a little over or under, it’s no big deal.”
It sounded simple enough. He complied.
“Thanks,” she said. “Maybe,” she admitted, “I did want to impress you… just a little bit. Oh, could you dump the chicken pieces in the pan, too, please?”
Bruce nodded. “No problem. And I meant it before, there was no need.”
“Maybe not on the culinary front,” Barbara agreed as she attacked fresh oregano with a mezzaluna. “Argh. I don’t believe this. Third shelf in the pantry, can you take one of those boxes of onion soup mix and just pour both envelopes into the pan? Thanks.” She hesitated. “I know you never really approved of my being with Dick.”
Bruce paused in the act of tearing open the second envelope. “I disapproved when he was seventeen and you were twenty. If you ponder the situation, I’m sure you’ll understand why.”
“And after?”
“After?” Bruce frowned. “I don’t…”
Barbara felt her hands begin to sweat. Maybe she shouldn’t have brought this up. “When Dick first told you we were going out… your reaction was a bit… well…” Lacking? Unenthusiastic, perhaps? “I thought I’d gotten beyond needing your approval by now, but maybe at the back of my mind, I thought that if I could… wow you with a meal, then...” She shook her head. “It sounded a lot less stupid before I said it out loud. Could you open one of the big cans of mushrooms? On the pantry door, second shelf from the top? Can opener’s in the drawer under the microwave. They go in the pan, too, liquid and all.”
He placed a hand on her shoulder. “I had no idea,” he said quietly. “If I had disapproved, I would have said so. It didn’t occur to me that…” He shook his head. “No excuses. It should have. There are things I’m not good at saying, but I should have tried.” Without another word, he trotted over to the drawer and retrieved the can opener. He opened the mushroom can over the roaster and poured the contents in.
“Bend down,” Barbara ordered abruptly.
“I beg your pardon?”
“I can’t hug you when you’re towering over me. And right at this moment, I think I’d like to. Now bend.”
Expression unreadable, he stooped to allow the embrace.
“That’s better,” she said. “And, you’re going to get thoroughly sick of hearing this by the time the weekend’s out, but I’m really glad you’re here. Now get up before Dick comes back and gets the wrong idea,” she laughed.
Bruce rose immediately. He seemed a bit more at ease, though. “I… if my being here poses a problem at some point, and you’d rather I not stay, I’ll understand.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him not to be silly, but she knew him. More importantly, she knew that he knew her. He wouldn’t accept some meaningless statement about not posing a problem. “I’ll take it under advisement,” she said. “But really, I think I can handle it. Could you fill the big measuring cup with water to the 1-quart-mark and just pour that into the pan, too? Thanks.”
As Bruce complied, she opened the oven door. “Great, now if you’ll just put the lid down and slide it into the oven, that should do it.” She grinned. “You’re going to have to learn to cook one of these days,” she said, closing the door. “I mean, you can’t live on takeout. Rent Fast Food Nation, if you don’t believe me.” She set the timer for an hour.
Bruce shook his head. “It’s not a good idea,” he said.
“Well,” she said, “I’m not saying you need to be able to make a soufflé, but I’m sure you could start with something a little more basic. Maybe something along the lines of the chicken and rice we’re having tonight.”
“I don’t think s…” Bruce was about to utter another protest. All at once his jaw dropped. He jerked his head in the direction of the oven, eyes wide.
Barbara nodded, eyes gleaming. “You start by putting two cups of rice in a roasting pan…”
“Reassembling?” Dick echoed. “And they want…”
“Both of us,” Roy confirmed.
“I’m honored, but I can’t leave Gotham.”
The archer shrugged. “I knew you were going to say that, Robbie, but I promised I’d ask. Seeing as I was able to talk you into joining the Outsiders, Hal thought I might have better luck than he would with you.”
He rubbed his hands together as though wiping them clean. “So, I asked and you said ‘no’. Now that that’s out of the way… can I bounce something off you?”
Dick’s eyes narrowed. “If it’s a rubber arrow, Lian’s going to find out all about the time her Daddy dressed up as the Easter Bunny.”
“That was for charity, Batboy.” Roy muttered. “Anyway, no. I’m serious. The Outsiders need a leader.”
Dick opened his mouth to protest.
“And I don’t mean you. If you’re not joining the JLA, you’re not going back to them. But that still leaves the slot open.” He sighed. “I asked Katana. She turned me down outright. Of the rest of the team… I can’t even think of someone with the potential, let alone the experience.”
Dick took another sip of coffee. “I know what you mean. Even after all this time, they’re not a team the way the Titans were.” He set the mug down. “So you need a leader. Someone used to working with a lot of strong independent personalities, who isn’t going to be intimidated by someone like Grace throwing a tantrum. Somebody who’ll be able to earn their respect pretty early in the game.”
Roy nodded. “Donna’s still subbing for Wonder Woman. If Harrier were older, I’d consider it, but I don’t see Metamorpho or Katana taking him seriously. Dinah’s joining the League, so she’s out. I asked Helena if she wanted to take the reins again, and she said something about it being hard enough for her to stick to the Bat-clan’s no-killing policy as it was.”
Dick laughed at that. “I guess that leaves Cyborg, then,” he grinned. “Think the Titans can manage without him?”
“I was wondering about that,” Roy admitted. “The thing is, when the Teen Titans got started, we were a few years younger than most of the current roster, and we didn’t have a mentor-in-residence. I don’t think the new team needs one either at this point. And if they do get into a bind, well, if Tim’s in charge, he’s going to call you. If you’re not available, he’ll either turn to the Outsiders or the League. He’s not a reckless kid, and he knows when to ask for help. With that in mind, I don’t think it would be that big of an issue if Vic were to move on.”
Roy had a point. Dick steepled his fingers. “Have you spoken to either of them yet?”
“Nah, I wanted your spin, first.” He grinned. “So?”
“The Outsiders will respect Vic,” Dick said slowly. “If he could direct a group of half-trained adolescents with hormones and or meta powers, he can handle a group of hostile adults with attitude and or meta powers. And there’s no question that Tim can manage the Titans. The real question is whether either of them will want to move up and on.”
Roy carved off another morsel of devil’s food cake with his fork. “And?”
“They will. They’ll soul-search a bit, maybe turn you down initially, but they’ll do it.” He downed the last of his coffee. “Congrats on the League membership,” he said extending his hand. “They knew what they were doing when they asked you.”
“Yeah, right,” Roy scoffed, taking the hand. “They only invited me to bring you onboard.”
“You don’t believe that anymore than I do, Bowhead.” He said. “Anyway, I have to go meet Cass. Give my best to Lian.”
“Will do. Oh, and if you could say ‘Hi’ to Bruce for me without making me sound drippy, go for it.”
“Sure.”
Dick knew something was up. He hadn’t been trained by the best for nothing. He’d noticed that Bruce seemed more than a little apprehensive as the afternoon wore on and Barbara put dinner in the oven to reheat. Gordon arrived. Bruce greeted him almost absently, before resuming his brooding.
“He’s fine,” Barbara said in response to Dick’s inquiry. “Trust me.”
Dick raised an eyebrow. “I know that look,” he said. “That’s the ‘I know something you don’t know’ look.”
Barbara began to smile. Dick looked about, more than a little nervously. “Um… how much longer until you get the ‘Dick I need to tell you something’ look?”
“The only thing I have to tell you right now, FBW,” she said, “is how much I love you.” She leaned forward as Dick bent down.
“Get room!” Cass called from the other room, shattering the moment.
Barbara sighed. “We need a door for this kitchen. Set the table?”
Dick nodded, and moved toward the silverware drawer. “By the way, the unit directly above us is going up for sale, available first of March. Is that something that Herr Fledermaus might want to purchase on Oracle’s behalf?”
Her eyes lit up. “Well, it’s definitely more convenient than the cave,” she grinned. “And probably less prone to police searches than this unit would be.” She punched his arm lightly. “You never know when Gotham’s Finest are going to turn up here with a few questions for Nightwing, after all…”
Dick raised a forkful of chicken to his lips wondering why Bruce was watching him. And why Bruce was pretending not to. It couldn’t be that he didn’t trust Barbara’s cooking. He’d downed the soup with gusto. With a mental shrug, Dick ingested the mouthful. It tasted fine. He dug into the rice.
Bruce relaxed visibly. Barbara grinned. “Told you,” she said quietly.
Dick wondered what that was about. “If you were hoping to get two meals out of this,” he said, “forget it. I don’t think there’ll be leftovers.”
Judging by the reactions of the other dinner guests, it was a safe assumption. Cass was reaching for a second drumstick while Gordon had nearly finished his first helping of white meat and visually staking out another.
Bruce cautiously took a bit of the rice. His eyes widened. So did Dick’s for a different reason-Bruce was… he was grinning from ear to ear. Dick hadn’t seen that happen in years.
“Um… Bruce?” He said. “I know Babs is a great cook and all, but it’s just chicken, huh?” He turned to Barbara. “No offense!”
“None taken,” Barbara said immediately. “After all,” she added, her own expression mirroring Bruce’s, “I didn’t make this.”
Dick’s jaw dropped as Barbara burst out laughing. Well, having been trained by the world’s greatest detective-who, up until a moment ago, Dick could have sworn was also the world’s worst cook-it wasn’t hard for him to deduce who was actually responsible for the main course. He recovered quickly. “Bruce? Whoa. Color me seriously impressed.” He took another bite. It was still fine. Would wonders never cease?
Bruce tried not to show emotion as the clock hit seven. He tried not to look next to the phone by the door, where the transmitter sat receiving the signal from his ankle monitor. That was it. The curfew was in effect. He was a prisoner here for the next twelve hours. He hadn’t expected to mind so much. It wasn’t as though he would have made plans for this evening, had he not been ordered to observe that restriction. But, of course, he had been ordered to do so. He took another bite of rice. Well, he was stuck here, but…
“Shouldn’t you be getting ready to head out, Dick?” He asked.
Dick shook his head. “Nah, I’m off tonight. Selina and Holly are filling in, and the Titans are lending a hand. It’s been pretty quiet lately, anyway.”
Bruce frowned. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
“I know. I wanted to be here this weekend. If it’s really bad, they know they can call.”
“That’s not the point.”
“Just what is the point, Bruce?” He asked wearily. “It can’t be that I’m abandoning the city, because I’m not. If you’re feeling a little crowded, I’m sorry. I’ll head into the other room and give you some space. I can’t be Batman tonight-GCPD knows you’re out of Arkham. They see me in the suit, they’ll keep stopping me thinking I’m you. I won’t get anything done.”
“The monitor will confirm my whereabouts.”
Dick raised an eyebrow. “You really think they’ll believe you couldn’t figure a way around that?”
Bruce was silent.
“As far as Nightwing is concerned,” Dick continued, “in case your ice cream run didn’t hammer the point home a couple of months ago, you’ve got a lot of friends on the force. And I don’t feel like fielding their questions about why I’m out there when you’re back here. It already started this afternoon.” He looked at the dark-haired young woman seated across from him. “Back me up, Cass. You remember? When we were leaving the library?”
Cass nodded. “Officer Harper. New at Central. Wanted to know why you weren’t with us.” She said, pointing at Bruce. “Said son should be with father at time like this.”
Bruce glowered. “That is nobody’s business but ours. I want you to go out there tonight, Dick. That’s an order.”
“Sorry, Bruce,” Dick said quietly. “Nothing doing. I’m staying in tonight. It’s what I planned for, what I’ve made the necessary arrangements for, and…” He hesitated. “And the truth is, I agree with the cops on this one. I do belong here tonight. It’s more than me wanting to spend as much time as I can with you this weekend, although yes, that’s a major part of it.”
Dick took a deep breath. Inwardly, he was shaking, but his voice stayed firm. “Look. Even though the subject doesn’t come up often, we all know that what we do can be dangerous. You taught me everything I didn’t already know from my circus days, and it should be more than enough… but Bruce? If it isn’t… if I were to go out after this discussion, and something were to go wrong… I know what that would do to you, and I’m sorry, but there is no freaking way that I am taking that chance on your first night here!”
His voice had risen on the last sentence. As soon as the words were out of his mouth he knew that he had gone too far.
Bruce went deathly pale. Without another word he pushed his chair away from the table and stalked into the guest bedroom. The door slammed behind him.
Dick slumped. “That really could have gone better,” he mumbled.
Click to go to Part 2